Paralyzed Vocal Cord - Need Some Opinions - Please!

[mhuffington]

So I've been vaping for 3-4 years now and recently I completely lost my voice. I quit smoking 20+ years ago and for a few months I started smoking real cigarettes until I decided to try vaping and since then I've been tobacco free for 3-4 years now. Never had any problems at all until then. I waited for about 3 weeks and went to see a GP. He referred me to an Eye Ear Nose and Throat specialist. They did an laryngoscopy which was pleasant. If you not familiar they put a scope up your nose and down your throat to have a look at your vocal cords. I went to a well known specialist with excellent credentials and he wants to me to have a CT scan to make sure its not cancer but since I have no other symptoms and feel fine he didn't think it was anything really bad or cancerous. I going in to have surgery in a week to have them inject my vocal cord thats paralyzed with a procedure called "suspension microlaryngoscopy with radiesse gel". Currently I can't tell any difference between when I vape a little and when I vape a lot and he didn't seem to think it was caused from vaping but he didn't ask me how much or details about it. He tells me that if it works I'll have my voice back immediately but it will only last about 6 months its a temporary fix but he said that often times the vocal cord heals itself in that time. Next procedure will be to put a piece of plastic in my throat to line up my vocal cords so they work more properly.

Has anyone else encountered this or know anyone who has had issue such as this from vaping? I don't know why all this would of happened if it was due to vaping but I wanted some opinions.

Ideas or experiences?

 

[Nermal]

This is a medical situation which calls for a Medical Doctor. We like to help, but this is completely beyond us.

I would like to find out what you discover.

 

[KLR650Tagg]

try to get better now, good thing its not vaping related.

 

[Katmar]

I have not heard of anyone having this from vaping, and if the doctor didn't think it was the cause, then it probably isn't. This can happen to non smokers and non vapers, too. Keep us posted. And good luck.

 

[classwife]

I am curious since it's your larynx...
How's your ability to breathe ??
Did they mention reflux ?


The reason I ask, I've not lost my voice but...

Since December, I have been dealing with VCD...Vocal Chord Dysfunction / Laryngopharyngeal Reflux...spasms of the larynx, lasts about 20-30 seconds...I can breathe out just fine but I can't breathe in. I sound like Darth Vader's wife when I try to get in air during a spasm. (about 50 times a day)
...Luke, I am your Mother...

For me it's caused by a combination of allergies/post nasal drip, and reflux (only slight symptoms)

Laryngopharyngeal Reflux - Cedars-Sinai

Any way, 3 weeks ago my Dr. suggested starting out with Nexium first to see if it helps along with getting scoped just "to make sure" (since I was a smoker for so long)...the Nexium has helped a little bit, along with breathing exercises from a respiratory therapist. Haven't gone to get scoped yet.

My Dr. says it's not vaping related and even tho I had never heard of such a thing before, research shows me it is actually quite common and often mild cases are misdiagnosed as asthma - like activity induced asthma. (an inhaler does nothing to help)


And surgery sounds scarey as heck to me !
Please keep us informed !

 

[Katmar]

I am curious since it's your larynx...
How's your ability to breathe ??
Did they mention reflux ?


The reason I ask, I've not lost my voice but...

Since December, I have been dealing with VCD...Vocal Chord Dysfunction / Laryngopharyngeal Reflux...spasms of the larynx, lasts about 20-30 seconds...I can breathe out just fine but I can't breathe in. I sound like Darth Vader's wife when I try to get in air during a spasm. (about 50 times a day)
...Luke, I am your Mother...

For me it's caused by a combination of allergies/post nasal drip, and reflux (only slight symptoms)

Laryngopharyngeal Reflux - Cedars-Sinai

Any way, 3 weeks ago my Dr. suggested starting out with Nexium first to see if it helps along with getting scoped just "to make sure" (since I was a smoker for so long)...the Nexium has helped a little bit, along with breathing exercises from a respiratory therapist. Haven't gone to get scoped yet.

My Dr. says it's not vaping related and even tho I had never heard of such a thing before, research shows me it is actually quite common and often mild cases are misdiagnosed as asthma - like activity induced asthma. (an inhaler does nothing to help)


And surgery sounds scarey as heck to me !
Please keep us informed !

As well as YOU keep us informed, too!!!! That's an order....

 

[mhuffington]

So I've been vaping for 3-4 years now and recently I completely lost my voice. I quit smoking 20+ years ago and for a few months I started smoking real cigarettes until I decided to try vaping and since then I've been tobacco free for 3-4 years now. Never had any problems at all until then. I waited for about 3 weeks and went to see a GP. He referred me to an Eye Ear Nose and Throat specialist. They did an laryngoscopy which was pleasant. If you not familiar they put a scope up your nose and down your throat to have a look at your vocal cords. I went to a well known specialist with excellent credentials and he wants to me to have a CT scan to make sure its not cancer but since I have no other symptoms and feel fine he didn't think it was anything really bad or cancerous. I going in to have surgery in a week to have them inject my vocal cord thats paralyzed with a procedure called "suspension microlaryngoscopy with radiesse gel". Currently I can't tell any difference between when I vape a little and when I vape a lot and he didn't seem to think it was caused from vaping but he didn't ask me how much or details about it. He tells me that if it works I'll have my voice back immediately but it will only last about 6 months its a temporary fix but he said that often times the vocal cord heals itself in that time. Next procedure will be to put a piece of plastic in my throat to line up my vocal cords so they work more properly.



Has anyone else encountered this or know anyone who has had issue such as this from vaping? I don't know why all this would of happened if it was due to vaping but I wanted some opinions.

Ideas or experiences?

Thanks everyone for your responses. I had my EKG and my CT scan yesterday and there is no sign of cancer so that's a relief. They put me under and a tube down my throat and injected my vocal cord with "radiesse gel". Apparently that is what they use in plastic surgery to decrease affects of aging and fill under the skin to reduce wrinkles. I should of mentioned he touch of touched me up as far as wrinkles go. Anyway that did help some at least I can project my voice as where before it was just a lot of air and I couldn't get any sound out. They did 2 laryngoscopy and to answer that question they didn't see any effects of acid re-flux or any other problems that were a little more common that mine. I did post this question on facebook and I had 2 friends comment and say that they new 2 men who had it and it eventually went away on its own. One said they heard it can be due to stress which is very possible in my case as well. Outside of that problem I am 49 years old and physically healthy as a horse maybe not so much mentally but you get my point.

If anyone has a need to see a surgeon for this in central Illinois I can recommend an excellent one hes rated one of the highest in his field and a medical director for this. Hes so smart and interesting I felt like I was in the tv series "House". There's not a single thing you can stump him on and he'll explain everything to you in ways you can understand. Usually doctors won't knock one another but mine doesn't pull any punches. He said my first specialist was incompetent after looking at my records I had transferred and he read the shot they gave me. He said the shot won't hurt he me but it would do absolutely nothing to help me either. He couldn't believe that a doctor who specializes in Eye ear nose and throat would have done that. He prides himself in being the best of the best and if you are I guess you aren't afraid to do that. I can also tell you who to avoid for anyone who resides near Terre Haute Indiana. That was my first stop and a bad mistake.