The O2 dries everything out, including the vocal cords. If you're using a home concentrator, you should contact your medical supplier to see if they have a water canister for your particular concentrator. If not, you should consider purchasing a humidifier.

Good luck, and welcome to the group. Jim

Some of the inhaled medications we take can also effect your voice.

Gary

What's happening with your voice? What changes are you experiencing? I'm on 02 also and haven't had any problems.

My o2 has not bothered me, but my inhalers make my voice gravely like a mans.

I hadn't noticed a voice change from the concentrator but as Jim said mine has a water canister on it and that might help. I know my voice has changed because I can't sing at all any more - at least not anywhere that I'd want someone to hear - Lots of LOL. My doctor says it's some of the inhalers I'm on that can really cause dry mouth and I drink tons of water. If you're concerned I would bring it up at my next doctor's visit . My voice has always been gravelly because I was a heavy smoker so maybe I don't see the difference. Welcome to the site and hope to see you out here as a regular - Ruithie (aka dollaraudit).

Mine is low and close to a whisper these days - of course I'm not pushing as much air in and out as I was a while back. Not sure if there is an association with the hoarseness and O2 - found only one entry below: http://www.domorewithoxygen.com/bid/281560/COPD-and-Hoarseness-What-You-Can-Expect
There are far more associations with inhaled corticosteroids and hoarseness...

Hugs,
Dennis

I am on Oxygen 24/7 and lost my beautiful singing voice. The doctor thought is was no big deal; as I do not sing professionally. I LOVE music; I LOVE to sing. Now, I croak; at best. It is sad. I am hoarse most of the time, too. I had quit listening to my many, many music C.D.'s and the radio. Now, I listen; dance until I am SOB and whisper the lyrics. I can still LOVE music; and I can pretend I am singing by whispering. lol
I am sorry that you are experiencing voice problems. It seems as if others are with you and understand. Best wishes.

I've had some off/on issues with hoarseness. I actually thought it was because I rarely talk to people, so that even a wrong number would constitute over-use of my vocal cords and cause laryngitis. Maybe I'll rethink that.

I'm not on oxygen, but I do get hoarse regularly. I suspect it's the meds. I have very little opportunity to chat regularly. However, I have noticed, that when I am involved in face to face conversations which exercises my vocal chords, the hoarseness reduces considerably. I started gargling after I read that our meds cause dry mouth. I'm not consistent with this though because I'm not a good "gargler" - fear of choking - which is probably another issue.

My second year using the inhalers and oxygen, I started having a problem with my voice. I too, thought it was most likely the inhalers and even found some doctors that agreed that it was a distinct possibility but would not commit.

I was sent to a specialist. I had the Botox treatment where they inject through the skin into the muscles surrounding the vocal cords. The co- treatment was speech therapy where I would learn to use the muscles more efficiently.

After a few weeks of doing this the therapist and I both came to the same conclusion. It was the fact that my lungs had changed because of the progressive lung damage and the volume of air that it takes to speak in a normal manner was no longer available to me.

If you think about it, the words are formed when you breath out and the air available determines the strength of the voice.

I notice on days that I am having more difficulty with my respiratory system, my voice also sounds more ragged.

There are some days that I avoid the phone and my conversations are fairly short these days.

i've always had a low gravely voice like ruthie---all those years of smoking i think did something to it.
i always wished i could sing, but my daughter teases me that i sound like that bird (whassisname) on the disney movie (blank moment---starts with a g i think)---quiz time, who was the disney bird that squalked?
but i love to embarrass her at christmas time & sing along with the music in the stores :) (mothers revenge hahahahaha)
my voice breaks up when i try----ah, weren't those cigarettes wonderful----and now the meds that make our throats dry.
has anyone noticed the past few years that storeds aren't playing christmas music like they used to? whats up with that----it always put me in a good mood to shop.
foxysdad= is it getting gravely or low or what is happening?

Do you mean Iago from Aladdin, voiced by Gilbert Gottfried? I loved that bird. He also did the AFLAC duck before he made some "insensitive" jokes about Japan and got fired.

And I think they don't play the Christmas carols like they used to lest they offend someone. Seems kinda BS to me. Like it or not, they are a part of the fabric and culture of the country. Maybe I'm not the ugly American, but I wouldn't expect cultures to throw away their traditions because I'm there, and I suspect that most of the emigres here don't, either, but there is a vocal segment that feels the need to apologize for everything.

Welcome to the group....My voice has always been like Ruthie and Jarca. I agree it came from smoking. I don't notice any difference with the 02.