Ok Take a deep breath or 2 or 3 it will help you relax. Trust me I know what you are going through! I get the whole isolation factor and I understand you do not want to take medication for anxiety but its obvious you are really anxious. You can help your anxiety by talking quick vigorous walks.
OK back to the voice. I do know what you are going through as I did commercial voice overs and am a sales mgr and I lost my voice.
Every thing I said in my first post about water diet and voice rest is crucial. I mean that with a capitol C.
Vocal cords control
voice
swallowing
breathing
You have done some research and you have a fairly good idea what is going on.
My story
I had spine surgery on my neck and they go in thru the front moving your
"voice box" so to speak over to get to my spine. It is a standard approach. My larengeral nerve was damaged causing paralysis to one vocal cord. It was not immediately apparent to the drs but it was to me. I said I sounded like a 90 yr old man, and I couldn't catch my breath. and when I drank anything cold I would get this really sticky thick saliva that I couldnt swallow.
I was anxious and depressed and recovering from MAJOR spine surgery and this just was not supposed to happen and it sucks and its not fair.
I read everything about voice disorders and knew what the Dr was going to say and he did. My Dr. Strobed me and instantly saw the paralysis, which can be temporary or permanent.
I also met 2 people who sounded like me who had dysphonia (different diagnosis than mine). You can also damaged vocal cords screaming or with a virus etc. You can get on ******* and search for vocal cord or whatever you think you have and see if you sound like these people.
You need a difinitive diagnosis, muscle spasms due to anxiety is not what i would expect. If you need to see another specialist do it! You are the only one who is in control and you have to manage your own health care.
I have had surgical proceedures to bring my voice back to a more normal tone and went to a speech pathologist and faithfully do my exercises every day. I have permanently changed my diet and if I do not get enough fluids or speak too much I am in pain and wiped out.
If you are "throat clearing" with voice STOP! To clear voice take a sip of water and a small cough, this does not damage and throat clearing with sound can.
I am not familiar with the drug you took after the piercing but search for side effects.
Search this board by typing vocal cords and see if anything is in here you can relate to. Thats how I found you
I hope you will find some of what I have written helpful.
July
