Laryngitis??

:confused: Has anyone had any problems with laryngitis after your surgery? My voice is so squeaky now. My husband thinks it's from disuse since I don't talk very much around the house. (He talks enough for the both of us!) It's a problem for me as I start teaching classes next Monday night and I will have to talk pretty much nonstop for about 5 hours. Could it be because I don't get enough liquids? I try to drink lots of water throughout the day, but I probably still don't get enough. I did get pretty dehydrated early on, but I haven't seemed to have as many problems with it lately. My throat doesn't hurt or feel bad in any way, I just seem to have lost my voice. Any suggestions?

I havent heard of that side effect before, but anythings possible. I looked up laryngitis symptoms and on 4 different sites it was never listed as a symptom. Even if you were out of practice talking, some water and some talking for a few minutes ought to clear it up. if it last more than a day I would see a dr. especially since your going to be teaching. I hope it clears up and you feel better.

My first thought was reflux because I've lost my voice to it in the past, the acid burns the vocal cords at night...but if you aren't having pain, that may not be it. Does it feel dry? That's another sign of GERD. Are you taking any acid meds?
I was trained for 6 yrs as an opera singer in my teens. I have a few little tricks. Add 1 tsp of honey to 8 oz warm drink ( not black or orange tea, both have tannins that will make your problem worse)... I use herbal tea. Sip slowly. I know honey is a sugar but it's so little over a long time, normally I'd have said 1 tblsp...
Hum to gently exercise after drinking. Find songs with low notes and hum along with them intermittently. (Soundscapes are good if you have such things on your cable system) Hum for 30 sec. Rest. Hum more, etc. If there is some sort of damage you won't be able to hum low. If this happens, get an appt with an ear/nose/throat doc so s/he can give it a look. Benign polyps can cause issues after surgery if they get inflammed.
I also use a product called "clear voice". It's a spray in many flavors, it's soothing to a raw set of vocal cords. Amazon has it.

You may need to keep some warm soothing liquid in a thermal mug nearby when you are teaching til you get this figured out.
Oh, and of course get that minimum 64 oz (keep track, sometimes you think you are drinking a lot)....
Hope it gets better soon!

I think dehydration was what caused mine-drink lots! Do the pinch test on the back of your hand-if your skin doesn't bouce back or is very slow you're dehydrated!

Could also be from the tube they put down your throat to help you breathe while under anesthesia. If I were you, I'd find some kind of hot soothing drink and try not to strain your voice at all...or talk! :)

After my surgery, if I talked for more than 1 or 2 sentences, my voice would crack and I could hardly speak. I thought it was from the fiber optic tube down my throat during surgery. After about a month I was back to normal. It didn't hurt, I just had trouble talking.

Definitely tube down the throat can do funny things. When I woke up from surgery, I just kept yelling "I cant swallow! I need a drink! I cant swallow!" because it felt like my throat closed up. If they hit your vocal cords or if the angle of your neck is a certain way, I can see some laryngitis issues happening (unprofessional thought :) )

I had a terrible time with it. My voice would be very raspy. I have no idea what caused it. I'm three mos out now and I still get it when I talk a lot or yell, (I"m a teacher in a high school and athletic trainer). I think its a combination of things the tube is the biggest guess. But, the dehydration is a very logical one. I'm prone to dehydration even before sx. I cant stand drinking water. LOL.

Have water ready and speak slowly and softly. It's a great classroom management strategy anyway :)

Good luck
Oh yeah the hand pinch test is the best to see if'n you are dehydrated.