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Voice straining

Started by BearGuy, March 22, 2014, 09:33:42 PM

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BearGuy

I'm quite a while on T now, 1 year 4 months, but I feel like something is still wrong with my voice. I forgot to ask my doctor last week about it, so maybe you guys will know...
Whenever I talk, I somehow have to strain my voice to make it consistent and deep. There is no comfortable range for me, and I lose my voice at the end of the day if I go someplace and have to talk a lot. It's difficult to explain, but I can talk either very deeply by purposely deepening my voice, or very high but squeaky and it breaks off (sounds extremely fake too). So of course, I stick to the deep voice. It's deep and vibrating. The higher one is of course deeper than Pre-T, but feels more natural as I can feel air escaping from my nostrils, but when I do the deep one, air only leaves through my mouth and my neck vibrates. BUT, I can't talk in the higher voice because it automatically breaks off if I talk loud enough; it usually breaks off into the deeeep normal voice, or squeaks which really hurts.

I don't know how to explain this better...but it feels like there is no middle, comfortable range. Of course I'm used to speaking deep by now and it's more comfortable than anything else, but still isn't...quite there.
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GnomeKid

huh.. try just producing a single tone as naturally as possible.  Just sigh one out and try to hold it a second.  Try talking right there?  My guess is that you've put so much anxiety/focus into your vocal range that you've stuck yourself lost with no sense of normal speaking tone.  I can't imagine there is any physical way that you don't have a comfortable speaking range, but I'm not a vocal doctor/expert.

Just as a random point of interest... have you tried singing at all?  Can you find a comfortable singing range?  Oftentimes we let ourselves go a bit more when singing as opposed to talking.  Your speaking range is probably in your most comfortable singing range, though its possible your psyching yourself out of your natural range. 
I solemnly swear I am up to no good.

"Oh what a cute little girl, or boy if you grow up and feel thats whats inside you" - Liz Lemon

Happy to be queer!    ;)
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aleon515

Something you might check out, but I found in my case it was not T. I thought it was T as I started getting hoarse around six months (or earlier) and it hasn't gotten better. I have been followed by my PA, and she never said anything but this time that I might try taking Prilosec (which is for heartburn aka GERD). You might look up GERD but I don't even have all the symptoms. It seems to be working (I am not so hoarse and can sing a little bit) so that I am guessing she is right. I had an ENT appt that got cancelled. They can look at your vocal chords and so forth.

--Jay
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Kreuzfidel

Well, speaking to your doctor is the best idea - my personal opinion is that you need to remember that it can take years for the voice to fully settle at its final pitch. 
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Aussie Jay

FWIF I've been on T for like 4 or so years and I notice that if I talk a lot - like see a lot of patients at work, meet someone new etc etc, I feel like I'm a bit hoarse and have a little bit of a sore throat. I also notice that I can sing for like 2-3 songs and then I'm struggling with the same feeling - it's crazy, I thought it was just me and my voice finding it's new home!! I also find when it does start to struggle if I pull on my neck about where my "Adam's apple" should be, it makes singing a little easier - though that could just be all in my mind haha!!! It's like it gives my vocal cords the room they need since they lengthened / thickened with T...

But at the end of the day as has been said it can take many years for your voice to settle and if you're worried see your GP  :D

A smooth sea never made for a skilled sailor.
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Jennygirl

Hoarseness is a sign of vocal fatigue and that could be from a number of reasons. If you push your voice harder while experiencing vocal fatigue you could actually cause an injury so please be careful!

The recommendation about GERD is a good one, too. A good place to start would be drinking a whole heck of a lot more water, and look for a link between the food you eat? Talking to your doc is the best though, or an ENT voice specialist should be able to find the problem easily using a laryngoscope.

Best of luck to you and hope it clears up soon :)
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