Anyone overcome acid reflux/mucus/TMJ causing vocal issues?

I'm losing my voice. I break up after singing 3 or 4 lines.

I went to see an ear nose and throat doc a few days and he told me it was a bunch of sexy things happening to me.

Acid reflux caused by boozing causes acid to wash over my chords when i do a reflux burp etc. Mixed with a deviated septum which is having mucus run back over them. Mixed in with my TMJ which is causing me to tense my jaw/larynx so I am never relaxed in that area. He said it is even visible when I talk when he scoped my vocal chords at how uptight I am in that area.

I was already considering it but this tipped me over the edge to go raw vegan and quit drinking and quit caffeine. I'm on day three. Broke 2 juicers already.

Has anyone changed their lifestyle and it fixed their voice?

You don't have to go completely vegan. Just avoid over-eating and have a balanced diet, then you should be fine. And avoid anything that you feel triggers your acid reflux. For me cold desserts and heavily-spiced foods sometimes trigger it.

If you have nasal mucus problems then you could use a saline nasal rinse to clear out your sinuses.

I also suffer from TMJ issues. I think it might be helpful to train yourself from teeth clenching. And also to practice singing using your fingers to hold the jaw slightly back and down. These might relieve tension.

Yes...I had throat cancer and had to relearn to speak and sing, I am much better at it now than before! How is that for a change in lifestyle!? Back on topic...

I have acid reflux and keep it controled with omeprazolone on a daily basis. I also changed me eating and drinking habits to make this less of an issue, no late meals, no acidic foods when possible, sparse drinking. I am actually in the middle of a fasting period right now, tomorrow it wil lbe 10 days with no solid foods, I am going for 30 days so it's just one third of the way there; next week I stop my acid reflux medication and hope that I will not need it again, at least untill I break the fast.

I sang today, most doo wop centerd stuff with a guitar player as the only instrument, I never felt better and never received so many compliments on how good my voice sounded! I had total control over it, I felt incredible! Whisper sounds were clear, influctions where audible...I loved it!

Good luck to you!

Rod

What?? 10 days with no solid food at all?? Wow. Do you find you feel really lethargic and can't do much? Or do you get used to it after a few days?

Hi Grace! I am on day 10 right now and I feel great! Really great, full of energy and drive with high spirits! Just walked the dog, mowed my lawn and am in the middle of cleaning my fish tanks!

I am using meal replacement shakes twice a day and drink plenty of liquids. I also have a doctor monitoring me so I am not "freelancing" some crazy idea! Short fasting periods are great to cleanse your system, something more radical like this should be tought out and executed with care. I am going for 30 days! ...

Rod

I think changing the lifestyle will help with the acid. And I am on flonase for the draining and that seems to be working.

TMJ is a habit I need to address. Quitting caffeine should help general tenseness. But I really am constantly clenching my jaw. I basically need to train myself to be a mouth breather. lol

I think its good to consciously practice releasing the jaw, like when at rest deliberately put a gap (like half a finger-width) between top and bottom teeth. I also find that breathing simultaneously through both the mouth and nose helps.

Thanks. I'll practice.

Thanks Rod. Glad to know you came through.

For the acid, I am on nexium. I'm hoping I can wean myself off it over time being vegan.

I have horrible issues with excess mucus/phlegm if I eat most dairy products, so I have basically eliminated them - which sucks for a guy who practically lived on pizza! Some wheat products bother me as well, so I tend to stay away from them, or if I do, I make sure that I take some benedryl/anti-histamine prior to eating them.

I used to have acid reflux; once I changed my diet, that helped a lot. I love coffee, but it would kill me, so I had to cut down to 2 cups a day, and I generally stay away from most spicy foods. I was basically drinking so much coffee that I was causing the acid reflux. I would sit there and clear ... almost like bile would just come up, so I started looking at what I was eating and drinking and cut out everything and started eating bland foods and only drinking water.... once I added back the coffee full force, I found the culprit.... so I kept cutting back on the coffee to find out how much I could drink if any, and it turned out to be 2 to 3 cups a day was my limit.

I don't normally eat sweets, and these days if I do want something sweet, I keep a big bag of washed grapes in the freezer. My girlfriend got me to try them, and I found that I love frozen grapes. They seem to be so much sweeter when they are frozen.

I don't have TMJ but I did have a slight case of sleep apnea, and my doctor told me about this exercise to try since I was just on the verge of it. You shove your lower jaw out like you have an underbite, and then pull it back in like you have an overbite. You just keep doing that and it seemed to help open my throat a bit, and it seems like I can open my mouth more, so it my work for you.

Wow, 30 days…I would be a wilted flower by the end of day 1…I eat very frequently…small amounts though. I am a “grazer”, heheh.

Good for you, Roddy!! Hope you get to day 30 and feel wonderful!

I have a constant struggle with acid reflux. I too have cut spicy foods and things of that nature out of my diet. I still drink like a fish though, lol. I was taking prevacid for awhile and didn't really help, but switched to Prilosec and bye bye acid reflux!

Do you really? I didn't know that...I don't even know what it feels like. I wonder if I have it...though I'm sure I'd know if I did, right?

Yeah, the worst days are usually after a gig. I posted a thread similar to this awhile back. I read somewhere that use of the diaphragm...singing...can push acids back up into your throat. When I get it, it feels as if my lower throat is burning. Some people don't even know they have it because it occurs while they're sleeping! Beware...BEWARE...

LMAO, beware I shall. *living in fear*

Yeah, the worst days are usually after a gig. I posted a thread similar to this awhile back. I read somewhere that use of the diaphragm...singing...can push acids back up into your throat. When I get it, it feels as if my lower throat is burning. Some people don't even know they have it because it occurs while they're sleeping! Beware...BEWARE...

A lot of people think their voice is strained beacuse of singing when it's really acid damage caused by reflux. Singers in bands tend to eat crappy food, drink, and do drugs...what else can you add to the shitty causes of acid reflux list!? Oh...after doing all of this we crash in bed and try to sleep!

Getting reflux under control and drinking sparingly was a game changer for me this year!

And Grace, day 11 today!

Rod

WOO for day 11! *pumping the air* LOL

I always eat a bowl of cereal with milk and then sip a tall glass of water with lemon in it before and while I sing. I don’t purposefully eat cereal for any singing-related reasons, in fact I know it’s bad (milk and eating anything really), but I just get home from work and am starving. So…I have to. I wonder how I’d sing if I didn’t eat anything first though.

you may find that when you try to go off the omeprazolone , you will get some major heart burn. Its pretty common. One thing you do need to do if you are on that is to use a B12 supliment that is a cream that is absorbed into your blood stream. With very low acid in your gut ,, you wont get any B12 from food and very little from vitamins. Get plenty of sunshine too. The PPL's that you are on ,, require you do get your B12 from other places than food or pill form. It can really make you feel like shit when you get low on B12 and D. been there done that.

Oh my god, I just read that bit about the throat cancer!! Roddy! I didn't know that! That's horrible! So glad you're ok now...

This is great info! I take vitamins daily and never tought about this! I'll look into it, and scold my doctor for never metnioning this to me!

Thanks!

Rod

Wow didn't know about that, I've been on ompeprazole (spl?) for about four years for post nasal drip and associated acid reflux. I'll look into it, cheers for the warning

Yup...

Avoid acidic foods and eat alkaline based foods.

Avoid sauces like pasta sauce, juices and soda.

You don't have to become a vegan, I'm not.

Alcohol won't help but some people can drink without it affecting their voice.

I can't. Avoid milk and dairy products BUT if you eat cultured dairy then you might be fine.

Yogurt (with acidophiles) will actually neutralize the acid so make sure to buy some.

Greek is best.

Forgot to add, sleep with your head upright. Use 2 pillows so that your head is angled

(sleep on your back)