remedies for hoarse voice/dystonia

[Minitoots]

My 86 year old Mum has suffered from a hoarse voice/ dystonia for years - the family is fairly sure it's stress related. It's recently got a lot worse since she has been in a care home. She's also having to use a steroid inhaler ('clenil') for asthma which seems to exacerbate the problem. I noticed that side effects for it can be hoarse voice and anxiety (!!) Her GP is dismissive when both my Mum and I have tried to discuss the problem with him (she lives in a rural area without many facilities, and the GP is about to retire and seems less engaged with his patients these days but she refuses to change GPs). She has tried lozenges, lemon and honey and inhaling and I'm trying to encourage her to see an alternative therapist.

If anyone has experience of this problem, it would be good to have some advice, thanks.

[Jah Lush]

My mate, his wife and two kids all have dystonia. He now receives regular botox injections as part of his treatment.

Lifted this bit from the web.

"There are several options for treating dystonia. The doctor will determine the course of treatment based on the type of dystonia and its severity. A recently introduced treatment is botulinum toxin, also called Botox or Xeomin. The toxin is injected into the affected muscle".

[Saffron]

You need to establish how much is truly the dystonia and how much hoarseness could be from the meds. I would also consider whether the asthma has been properly diagnosed, and what other steroid formulations are available. This is something that usually requires the advice of specialist consultants. She could keep her GP, but she needs to push for a referral to a specialist(s). This would typically be an ENT. Correct evaluation is critical because the causes of hoarseness with dystonia vs steroids may be different. They may even be essentially opposed. So, treating a dystonia could worsen the steroid-induced muscle myopathy.

In the meantime, here are a few things to consider. Could she drop down on the dose of meds? If she is using an aerosol type inhaler, has she been given a spacer? For aerosol or dry powder inhalers, has she received correct support on inhaler usage to minimise exposure to the mouth and throat? Is she adequately rinsing and gargling after inhaler use?

Hoarseness is a known SE of certain asthma inhalers. It should not be difficult for any GP to recognise this and take adequate steps towards minimising the problem. If dystonia is complicating the diagnoses, then that's all the more reason to seek specialist advice. xx