Longer hoarseness than I have heard about?

[aleon515]

I was wondering if anyone had long term hoarseness. I think mine has gone on for a few months (4-5). I have periods when it goes away. My doctor doesn't seem too worried about this. I am quite a bit older than most people here.

I have thought about seeing a speech therapist, because I think that I am straining it or something. I haven't heard of a trans guy going to one, but they have a clinic that sees trans women.

--Jay

[Jack_M]

I have no idea what this could be, but perhaps this may help you with regards to wondering if you're maybe forcing a voice without realising:

Singing!

Lol.  You don't have to go do karaoke or anything but maybe just finding something fairly easy range, nothing too high and nothing too low, so no Beegees or Barry White .  But try and find something you don't know the words to but roughly know the tune.  So that way you're concentrating on the lyrics (reading them) and less on how you sound or your voice.  This is just a trick to kinda distract your brain.  For example, when trying to help kids with balance I have them stand on one leg and juggle, so their brain is focused on the juggling and not on mentally trying to balance so that would be the same idea.  Your brain would hopefully be too focused on getting the lyrics and tune right to worry, even subconsciously, about the voice.

Just sing along and maybe record that.  Then talk into the mic a few hours before or after and compare the voices and range you're at and see what happens.  If there's a noticeable difference that goes beyond just singing VS talking voice, maybe you're unknowingly straining your voice.  Perhaps your subconscious feels your voice isn't right and is trying to make it so.  Who knows?

If you're hoarse/sore though, don't be too ambitious with the singing - don't make it worse.  If it hurts, stop!

I'm not sure how long you've been on T but I've noticed some hoarseness myself as of late and I keep being asked if I'm ill right now and I'm fine  .

Good luck with whatever it is though.  Have you had blood work to check your levels are staying fairly consistent at a good range? 

Hope it either starts to ebb or you find a solution!

[aleon515]

Singing is a good idea. I have thought that I might be sort trying to speak at a higher register than it should be. I have a really low voice! Baritone maybe.

--Jay

[Magnus]

I'm considering an ENT consult. Mine is still pretty broken. I think it could be I had too much T too fast... or I don't know what. I know it really hurt at times and still can, sometimes felt like how I'd imagine a buoy would (if it could) feel too inflated. I still don't have as much control over it as I think I should after a year and a couple of months. On the other hand, it could also be the fact that I have almost no occasion to literally speak on a daily basis... so perhaps I'll try singing again before jumping the gun (I sound downright terrible at it now though). But it changes almost daily. There's very little consistency yet and that does mildly concern me. Then again I've had a tonsil/sinus issue of undetermined origins going on for a while so it might just be a good idea anyway ('globus sensation' on the right side ). I'm sure its probably not something serious or anything that could have anything done about it but... maybe there is and I'm wrong.

[aleon515]

The problem with the ENT thing is we know what the cause is (unless there is something else going on, which very strangely started 2-3 months on T). The larynx grows pretty fast or can. If the ENT knew I was on T, which seems like that would be part of the discussion. Simple answer, go off T. It might be good if you DID have something else going on. I'm sure there are allergies for me or something as well. A guy I know who deals with a lot of trans people said going to a speech therapist is not a bad idea if this persists. (I'm not sure how much longer "persists" implies, as I think it is kind of chronic at this point.) They definitely must treat trans people.

In your case, sounds like there may just be something else. I don't have any sensations like there is something in there. I had my tonsils out. But one can get nodules and so on. Can't sing at all btw. But it's a really good idea...

--Jay