Voice Changes and Chemo
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URL: http://forum.tnbcfoundation.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=1501
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Topic: Voice Changes and Chemo
Posted By: Marly
Subject: Voice Changes and Chemo
Date Posted: Aug 18 2008 at 6:46am
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Just curious . . . I had my first chemo on August 6 (neo-adjuvant Cisplatin and Avastin) and started noticing in the last few days that my voice seems to be a little hoarse/weak. Does anyone else have this problem (on whatever type of chemo you're on?).
Thanks!
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Replies:
Posted By: krisa
Date Posted: Aug 18 2008 at 7:01am
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Posted By: Nancy Bell
Date Posted: Aug 18 2008 at 7:20am
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Marly,
Yep. My voice did the same thing. It actually continued after I finished treatment. A PET/CT & ultrasound showed an enlarged thyroid. No cancer. The Endocrinologist ran a bunch of tests and determined it was enlarged/inflamed from the treatments. It is getting better but needs to be monitored for awhile.
Nancy ------------- dx 8/17/2007 IDC Grade 3 Stage2 lumpectomy 9/19/2007 1.2cm w/extension into multiple intramammary lymph nodes SNL 0/1 Ki-67 81% Dose Dense AC/T completed 2/21/08 37 rads completed 5/02/08 |
Posted By: cg---
Date Posted: Aug 18 2008 at 7:28am
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Dear Marly,
My voice changed right from the first AC (I think me having my stomach in my throat all the time with the nausea may have played a part) and was changed for months after. It slowly came back and 8 months after finishing treatment - it is normal once again (not sure everyone would celebrate its return...!)
Connie
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Posted By: Marly
Date Posted: Aug 18 2008 at 8:04am
Thank you all for your responses! . . . I am a "nervous Nellie" and started thinking the worse . . . mets to lungs, etc. I'll mention it to my oncologist when I go for my second round on August 27 . . . oh, joy 
Marly
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Posted By: Nancy
Date Posted: Aug 19 2008 at 4:52pm
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Marly,
Lori's voice was raspy and at times hoarse. She would have to clear her throat many times if we were talking on the phone. It is fine now. Are you drinking plenty of water? That is a must.
Nancy
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Posted By: kirby
Date Posted: Aug 19 2008 at 6:27pm
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If you are taking steroids, they can affect your voice like that, at least with inhalers they do. ------------- kirby dx Feb. 2001. Age 44 Lumpectomy 2cm. no nodes stage 1 grade 3 4 rnds AC, 35 rads |
Posted By: Marly
Date Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 2:51am
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Nancy and Kirby, thanks for the responses. I am drinking LOTS of water, Gatorade, diet gingerale, orange juice, but I'm not taking steroids. I'm probably just making more of it than it is Thanks, again.
Marly
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Posted By: CarynRose
Date Posted: Aug 27 2008 at 5:23pm
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Even with drinking lots of water, my voice is definitely different. A little hoarse.... I can't sing as I did (I LOVE to sing). One doc said that it's reflux damage. Don't know about that, but I'm praying that it's temporary.
Caryn ------------- Orig dx 6/03 - St.2a, IDC gr.3,0 nodes, TNBC/BRCA1+ 7/07 St 4 mets to nodes/lungs. PACA/Rads NED 11/07-10/08 Lepto mets 10/08 Rads for 4 brain tumors 4/10. Leptomets return 6/10 |
Posted By: sberger
Date Posted: Sep 25 2008 at 6:52am
| It effected my voice and I'm told that is very common. It goes away as soon as you stop. |
Posted By: tigojo
Date Posted: Sep 27 2008 at 9:49am
| PLEASE give up the diet soda! PLEASE! |
Posted By: trip2
Date Posted: Sep 28 2008 at 7:12am
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Why tigojo? ------------- Stage 2 2003 Stage 1 2007 BRCA 1+ |
Posted By: tigojo
Date Posted: Sep 28 2008 at 12:59pm
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Try to focus of you overall health. While sugar is not good, the chemicals in diet sweetners are maybe/maybe not safe? Why add more chemicals to your body when your kidneys and liver are having to do so much work with the chemo. Think healthy. Be healthy. I have a friend who was diagnosed with MS. She drank lots of diet coke. Her docs told her to stop. She said about 90% of her symptoms went away over the first few months. Today, she is back at work full time and doing well. She still uses her cane, but the disease has not gotten worse and she is doing great....
Just be careful! If it is not at all good for you, why not try to give it up, as we would smoking and such? Good luck!
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Posted By: cmtrots
Date Posted: Oct 08 2008 at 6:49am
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I'm sooooo glad to hear these responses because my voice has really changed. As you can see from my signature I have had a lot of chemo and it never changed before. Just now with Avastin and Abraxene. I asked about it and they said it's "weak voice". Marly, I too got nervous that I was getting MORE lung mets while in treatment. I'm so thankful that I found this site:) ------------- 12/02 mast w/recon neg nodes A/C 12/05 5/11 pos nodes,taxotere 6/06 3 nod pos,6 wks rad'tn and Xeloda 7/07 lung met, lung surgery,Taxol and Carbo 8/08 lung mets again, Avastin and Abraxene |
Posted By: Marly
Date Posted: Oct 28 2008 at 8:33am
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cmtrots,
I've haven't been on the site for a while . . . my last round of chemo on October 8 was just the Cisplatin without the Avastin because I need 6 weeks off the Avastin prior to surgery (November 7). I found I didn't have the raspy voice after this one, so maybe it's the Avastin that was doing it. My voice does get more raspy/weak by the end of the day which would indeed make it "weak voice".
It looks like you've been going through the ringer since '02. How are you doing now? I am nervous about lung mets (or any other kind for that matter), because a node deep to my subpectoral muscle was enlarged and cancerous. The tumor has shrunk, but my surgeon still wants to do a mastectomy and remove nodes--whatever it takes is fine with me.
Take care,
Marly
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Posted By: trip2
Date Posted: Oct 28 2008 at 9:17am
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Hi Marly, it's nice to hear from you! ------------- Stage 2 2003 Stage 1 2007 BRCA 1+ |
Posted By: Marly
Date Posted: Oct 28 2008 at 9:33am
| Thanks - how are you doing? |
Posted By: trip2
Date Posted: Oct 28 2008 at 12:33pm
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Marly,
I'm doing pretty good. Recovering from last year's treatment and
CHF has been slow but I'm getting there. I want to send my best wishes for your upcoming surgery, I hope everything goes smoothly and you heal quickly.
I hope you'll check back in with us and let us know how you are doing.
 ------------- Stage 2 2003 Stage 1 2007 BRCA 1+ |
Posted By: cmtrots
Date Posted: Oct 29 2008 at 8:29am
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Marly,
I don't know all that you've been through, but it sounds like you are on the right track. As for me, well I'm still kickin'. Have tolarated the A/A I'm on right now and it seems to be working. Although, that Avastin is giving me some serious nose bleeds. I do think it's a really good drug and hope to stay on it. I hope your surgery goes well. Lots of prayers for you:) ------------- 12/02 mast w/recon neg nodes A/C 12/05 5/11 pos nodes,taxotere 6/06 3 nod pos,6 wks rad'tn and Xeloda 7/07 lung met, lung surgery,Taxol and Carbo 8/08 lung mets again, Avastin and Abraxene |
Posted By: Marly
Date Posted: Oct 30 2008 at 3:04am
| Thank you Pam and cmtrots. I will be in touch. |
Posted By: lavadava
Date Posted: Mar 20 2009 at 11:51am
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Nancy,
We have something in common! Chemo enlarged my Thyroid also and I had a thyroidectomy several months after treatment. My symptoms were slow showing up but I was eventually dx with hashimoto's and graves disease. I was in constant pain (which had been misdiagnosed as neuropathy secondary to chemo ), and I lost 87 pounds in seven weeks!! How's that for a weight lose plan!! It was the worst! I looked like Karen Carpenter!! After the thyroidectomy, I gained some of the weight back and I look like a human being again. Just trying to keep from gaining too much! (any advice on that note would be welcome ). None the worse for wear....... except my voice, which was damaged by the surgery, now sounds exactly like Abe Bagoda is whispering in your ear. They gave it a chance to self resolve but no bananas. They hope to fix it in two weeks with..... ofcourse.......another surgery. ------------- Age - 48 Dx TNBC, stage IIb, high grade, high proliferation rate Left Tumor - 8cm Taxotere,A/C,- 5/07 - 9/07 Partial Mastectomy - 9/07 Rads - 1/08 - 2/08 Reconstruct - 1/09 |
Posted By: trip2
Date Posted: Mar 21 2009 at 7:36am
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Lavadava, all my best for a smooth surgery. Let us know how you are doing. You've sure had your problems. ------------- Stage 2 2003 Stage 1 2007 BRCA 1+ |
Posted By: lady4law
Date Posted: Aug 08 2009 at 4:06pm
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I had 1/2 of my thyroid removed years ago, and my last PET/CT showed a lesion on my remaining 1/2. Since my chemo, over a year and 1/2 ago, I have had a sore throat and am horse most of the time. I sound like an old time actress, not sure who, maybe Loren Bacall.
------------- IBC/TN 6/07 Lymph, Chemo, Mast w/rec, chemo, 2 infect surg, exchg (2x) redo rec (2x) 4 new tumors esophagus, colon, chest, mouth, (10/11- 5th SUV7)"Activity" in spine hip |
Posted By: trip2
Date Posted: Aug 08 2009 at 5:35pm
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Jean, I had a hoarseness while on Taxotere.
I meant to tell you in another post reply to you that I had heard "if" they get the healthcare reform done it would be 2013 before it kicked in. Not sure if that is set in stone. ------------- Stage 2 2003 Stage 1 2007 BRCA 1+ |
Posted By: lady4law
Date Posted: Aug 08 2009 at 7:09pm
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That's good I'll be dead or hopefully living in Italy by then.
------------- IBC/TN 6/07 Lymph, Chemo, Mast w/rec, chemo, 2 infect surg, exchg (2x) redo rec (2x) 4 new tumors esophagus, colon, chest, mouth, (10/11- 5th SUV7)"Activity" in spine hip |
Posted By: trip2
Date Posted: Aug 09 2009 at 7:56am
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Let's opt for Italy. ------------- Stage 2 2003 Stage 1 2007 BRCA 1+ |
Posted By: lady4law
Date Posted: Aug 09 2009 at 10:48am
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That's my intention. We'd like to buy a B&B in Italy
------------- IBC/TN 6/07 Lymph, Chemo, Mast w/rec, chemo, 2 infect surg, exchg (2x) redo rec (2x) 4 new tumors esophagus, colon, chest, mouth, (10/11- 5th SUV7)"Activity" in spine hip |