Patsy Cline singer diagnosed last month

[soycoffee]

Today Rheumy gave me prescript. for GABAPENTIN I think its called.  I'm not going to get that filled..it's a ANIT-CONVULSIVE for treating Fibromyalgia.

As others have mentioned, GABAPENTIN was developed as an anti-convulsive, but soon found other uses. When I started taking it ten years ago there was no generic Gabapentin. Instead, the drug was marketed as Neurontin. My peripheral neuropathy specialist ( a neurologist at a top ranked hospital) prescribed it for nerve pain, that started with burning toes, and paresthesias (mixed pains that jump around). Gabapentin controls all those crazy signals.

I checked the side effects listings on a couple of sites, and suicidal ideation or suicide itself is not a frequent or major side effect. I have had ups and downs, many of them, in the time I have been on Gabapentin/Neurontin, without having suicidal ideation, and obviously I haven't committed suicide. You, on the other hand, might just experience ideas of suicide, with the changes in your life, with the adaptations to treatment, with the frustration with doctors -- a lot of things.

I think I would have been thinking about suicide from the unpredictable nerve pain, if it hadn't been prescribed for me.

It's really good that you couldn't believe the following.

I couldn't  believe he was so quick to prescribe a drug whose primary side effect is SUICIDAL THOUGHTS.

With minor symptoms, perhaps at this point you can ignore the Gabapentin prescription, and may never need it. I hope that's the case. On the other hand, though, it takes a while to build up to an effective dose of Gabapentin, so the doctor may want you to start now. Worth asking him "What were you thinking?"?

I'm also going through a difficult life transition with my career, and I know it isn't easy.

Welcome to the Forum, and feel free to laugh, cry, scream, vent, and discover this new thing called Sjögren's (or SjS, for short).

Best,
Soycoffee

[voiceteacher]

Rudytudy,

I am a voice teacher and dryness will certainly effect your singing - - However, that said, each of us is different and our bodies respond differently.  The fact is, that is your mouth is dry, throat is dry, etc, your vocal cords are most probably very dry as well.  We can't "feel" our cords because they have no feeling - we can only tell if it's more difficult to sing or if we get hoarse.  As long as you can sing, enjoy it.  I did not give the evoxac much time and gave up but as others say, it may take several weeks to get the full effect.  I'd use it now and not wait until it's too late.  If you sing on dry cords for too long, you can actually do damage to them so if you have a script to help keep them lubricated, I'd take it.  Interestingly enough, my singing is more effected by my dry mouth as I have a hard time pronouncing the words because my lips get stuck to my gums, etc.  If I just sing vowel, my cords are ok - -  until they get really dry!!!!

Best of luck

voiceteacher

[slccom]

When I was a kid, I'd sing along to the player piano. My parents decided to strongly  encourage me to take up the clarinet... which I did. I'm 56 and still play with numerous bands. I'm not really great, but I haven't been thrown out of any bands yet in 46 years of playing.

I'm sorry to hear all the singers here who have had their voices affected. I did want to encourage you all to consider moving to an instrument to keep music in your lives. You can read music, and I think you'd enjoy the challenge of learning an instrument.

Voices can be affected by undiagnosed GERD, gastric reflux. I had it for years before I actually felt "heartburn." And my voice (speaking!) went from smooth and melodious to scratchy and down about half an octave. My singing voice range has remained about three notes, though. Three wrong notes. Sigh.

[jmkboyer]

I'm glad this got brought back up to the top...I missed it while I was in my horrendous self-induced holiday flare.

I sing in my Catholic church's choir.  It's a beautiful group and it's the one thing I truly enjoy in this town my husband dragged me to a couple years ago.  So I couldn't get lupus, could I?  Nooooo, I had to get the AI that affects my voice.  I take a lot of the Luden's pectin drops and drink water throughout mass.  I'm usually quite sore afterwards but so far I can still manage it. (Good thing this church always offers wine at communion! Couldn't get the host down otherwise!)

The day I have to quit it will crush me.

AGAIN, so glad to have others to share this with.  My husband doesn't get how depressing losing my choir would be.

Meri