sore throat vs. scratchy throat

[zombiesarepeaceful]

So its been 13 days on T for me, and already, my voice has dropped for the first time.

Its been sore off and on since day 1. Went up and down for the last 13 days. Then finally, a couple days ago, I woke up with a sore throat that felt like death on a stick. Today, its finally reached a level of stability where its not as high as it was before, and its staying that way.

Question is, I posted some stuff on my LJ about this and a friend who started T in the last couple months replied that its not supposed to be sore, its supposed to be scratchy and uncomfortable. I mean, its scratchy yeah, but also sore. Should I be concerned about this at all?

[Arch]

I've heard some guys say that their throats were sore--not just scratchy. If it persists and you're not sure, see a doctor.

[Ryan]

Apparently it can feel like you're coming down with a cold, but it shouldn't feel like "death on a stick" at all.
Mine never got sore or scratchy at all.

[Devin87]

Mine's also just starting to drop a bit (not very much-- I'm on cream and not injections) and my throat's been sore.  I hate to do this, but I can almost compare it to the pain I felt in my chest when my moobs were growing as a teenager.

[zombiesarepeaceful]

Maybe the fact that my voice pre-T was already low...plus the fact that I consciously lowered my voice until yesterday has something to do with it. I was stressing my vocal cords more, while they were changing. But now my voice is to a point I don't have to consciously lower it.

How long did it take all of you guys to notice a voice change?

[LordKAT]

a week or 2 to start with and no sore throat, just a feeling of something being caught in it and unable to cough it up.

[Arch]

a week or 2 to start with and no sore throat, just a feeling of something being caught in it and unable to cough it up.

In a few days, my voice started to crack when I was singing. In a week, I thought that my voice was slightly lower. In about ten days, I could hear the difference for sure. But it took awhile to get into a definite male register.

Ditto LordKAT's physical experience--I still get that from time to time when my voice is taking a small dive and acquiring a bit more timbre.

[zombiesarepeaceful]

also...how many times did your voice drop? I have lots of questions.

[Ryan]

Maybe the fact that my voice pre-T was already low...plus the fact that I consciously lowered my voice until yesterday has something to do with it. I was stressing my vocal cords more, while they were changing. But now my voice is to a point I don't have to consciously lower it.

How long did it take all of you guys to notice a voice change?

Yeah, if you're constantly using a fake voice and start T it can damage and strain your vocal cords.

I think my voice starting changing very slightly by week 3. More resonance behind it somehow.
Week 6-7 it started getting deeper, and then week 11 it got very masculine and deep.
Mine still seems to be dropping though.

[Devin87]

Today's my 6 week anniversary of starting T  and just this past week my voice started dropping a bit.  It started getting really rough and kinda growly and all last weekend I had that "something stuck in my throat" type feeling in addition to a little actual pain in my adam's apple area.  That all went away now, although my voice is getting sore a lot faster if I use it too much-- I almost lost it the other day after just half a day of subbing 4th grade, and I've never lost my voice from teaching before.  I doesn't really sound lower yet, though.  It's more the timbre is changing.  Before I had a very light, floaty, childish soprano voice and now it doesn't seem to float as much-- it feels more grounded and solid.

As far as singing, I've noticed the past few days I can sing along with male tenors in their mid-to-upper range and keep up with them better than I used to be able to and I've got a more similar timbre to them than I used to.  Like I said before-- more solid and less floaty.  But when I get out the keyboard and try some scales, I've still got my soprano range and passaggi, although I can push out another two or three notes on the bottom.  There's definitely something going on with my voice right now, it's just going slowly.

[zombiesarepeaceful]

Yeah...I'm not even attempting singing right now. My throat feels like hell. I need a damn cough drop!

[Carson]

My voice was scratchy and a little sore and I had little drops starting probably about a week on T. My voice really dropped at exactly 3 weeks 2 days. I coughed when I was laying in bed and then all of a sudden my voice was considerably deeper. I made a video about it actually.

[Arch]

also...how many times did your voice drop? I have lots of questions.

Lots of times. Too many to keep track of. Many were subtle changes that only I noticed.

[Devin87]

Man.  Maybe I should start coughing randomly and see if anything comes of it.   


Oh-- and Ryan, I want your room.

[Arch]

Anyone ever heard that story (maybe apocryphal) about Rock Hudson? I don't remember all the particulars, but his voice wasn't as deep as we are accustomed to. He told a friend that he drove out to the boondocks, stood on a mountain, and yelled his head off. According to Hudson, his voice cracked into the rich, resonant voice we all know and love.

I've heard that he actually had his voice surgically deepened, but I have also read that such procedures are very risky and can result in permanent injury. And I didn't know they were doing it sixty years ago.

A buddy of mine says that trans men are supposed to be extra careful with their voice and throat in the first year or so of HRT. Does it really matter?